Courses Here’s is the list of 13 best scrum master certification courses for agile experts.
Are you an agile specialist? Are you seeking to advance your career and lead teams more effectively? Then, a scrum master certification course is for you.
Deciding on which course will suit you might be a tricky decision. Let’s examine the top 13 scrum master certifications, outlining their distinct characteristics and advantages, this will for sure assist you in making up your mind.
1. SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) Certification
Wondering for whom this course, SSM is meant for? Mainly those who are interested in applying scrum on a large scale, but also anyone who is capable of trying this course; there are no limits. It mainly focuses on the role of the Scrum Master within the SAFe, hence best for one employed in large enterprises. This involves how to facilitate scrum events, execute PI (program increments), and lead agile transformations across teams. The course is well-supported, with full instruction and assistance from our experienced trainers to ensure a high pass rate.
2. SAFe Advanced Scrum Master (SASM) Certification
The SASM certification course is an improved version of the SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) certification course. That tells you that this is an ideal course for already experts looking to advance their scrum knowledge and expertise. The SASM certification builds the basic scrum master skills and delves into advanced practices, including Kanban integration, facilitating cross team interactions, program execution and supporting Agile practices. This course is ideal for experienced scrum masters seeking to enhance their capabilities in a SAFe environment.
3. Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I)
The PSM I certification is one of the most reputable certifications available for Scrum Masters, offered here by ValueX2. Suitable for those with some experience in Scrum, this training covers the basics of Scrum and the duties of a Scrum Master: real-life cases, and how to improve the application of Scrum principles. You will deal with the understanding and application of Scrum principles in practice. This is an assessment-based, rigorous course with an 85% passing score confirming certification for those who to dive deeper in Scrum principles. Emphasis is put on professionalism, continuous learning, and practical application of Scrum.
4. Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II)
Where PSM I focuses on basic Scrum Master skills, PSM II certification investigates the advanced Scrum Master level. PSM II goes deeper into the scrum framework, assisting complex scrum implementations and overcoming challenges to agile adoption in organizations. This course is ideal for scrum masters with substantial experience who want to validate their skills.
5. Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
This certification is a globally acknowledged certification course. This course is ideal for newbies, it provides a solid foundation in scrum, covering the framework’s roles, principles and practices. Upon completion of this course, you are required to sit for an examination and conquer it to attain your certification. The CSM certification is highly regarded because of its emphasis on servant leadership and practical approach. It is also well-regarded in terms of employment opportunities and pay raises.
6. Agile Scrum Master (ASM)
The EXIN ASM certificate is designed for those professionals who want to merge Agile Principles and Scrum practices to have a grip on both methodologies. ASM goes deeper into agile methodologies, scrum framework and applying scrum practically in real-life situations. This certification would apply to newbies of Agile and Scrum and people experienced in the area who need formalization of their knowledge through certification.
7. Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM)
The DASM certification provides an adaptable approach to scrum and incorporates various agile techniques. The course introduces the Disciplined Agile (DA) toolkit that helps individuals adopt their approach to the specific needs of their projects and organizations. This course emphasizes on coming up with agile practices to fit particular contexts and equips scrum masters with the skill to optimize team processes and outcomes.
8. ICAgile Certified Professional – Agile Coaching (ACC)
ICAgile’s ICP-ACC certification is for those practitioners who want deep knowledge of the power behind becoming meaningful Agile coaches. It covers the basics of Agile coaching, conflict resolution, and professional coaching techniques. This is perfect for people aspiring to become great Agile coaches or take their Agile coaching skills to the next level.
9. ICAgile certified Professional – Agile Team Facilitation(ATF)
This is an ICAgile certification that concentrates on developing facilitation skills for agile teams. It covers coaching techniques, Agile team dynamics, and effective communication practices. This course is suitable for individuals who want to improve their agile team-leading skills.
10. Certified Scrum Professional® – ScrumMaster (CSP-SM)
The CSP-SM is an advanced certification for experts who have already earned their CSM and Advanced CSM(A-CSM). It is designed for Scrum Masters with at least two years of experience and requires appreciable expertise coupled with a deep comprehension of Scrum. The course digs deeper into agile facilitation, coaching and scaling practices assisting scrum masters to further develop their skills and contribute to teams more successfully
11. SAFe® Release Train Engineer (RTE)
The RTE certification is for those who wish to coordinate large Agile programs and release trains. It covers the facilitation of ART (Agile Release Train) events, continuous improvement and how to lead agile transformations within a SAFE framework. It is therefore meant for highly experienced Scrum Masters and Agile practitioners who consider scaling Agile across multiple teams.
12. Certified Agile Leadership (CAL) by Scrum Alliance
The CAL certification is designed for leaders and executives who want to implement agile practices within their organizations fostering a culture of agility. It offers insight into agile leadership principles and practices helping leaders create a more agile-friendly environment and effectively support their teams
13. Kanban Management Professional (KMP)
The KMP certification is all about mastering Kanban principles and practices. This certification is not Scrum-centred, but it would help any Scrum Master who wants to adopt Kanban into the Scrum framework as a tool to enhance the Agile toolkit. It’s about the Kanban method in service of helping Scrum Masters manage workflow, process improvement, and team efficiency.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right scrum master certification depends on your career goals, current role, experience and the specific needs of your organization. Whether you’re just starting with foundational courses like CSM or looking to deepen your expertise with certifications like SASM, there are a lot of options to help you grow as an agile expert. All the 13 certifications listed above will enhance your agile knowledge and expertise, increase your earning potential and increase your value in the job market
Bhavna is an Agile Coach and Consultant with over a decade of experience in advisory, corporate finance, IT assurance, and operations at Big 4 and within the industry in the UK and India. She has recently been the CEO of a start-up where she implemented agile practices within HR, Marketing, and Product teams.
She is also a SAFe® Practice Consultant (SPC) and authorized instructor for ICAgile Agility in HR (ICP-AHR), Agility in Marketing (ICP-MKG), and Business Agility Foundations (ICP – BAF) training courses. She provides training for agile transformation to corporate, public, and private batches, as well as consulting for enterprise agile transformation.
